Sony is the latest pro AV vendor to pull out of InfoComm, with the company releasing a statement this week saying it has withdrawn from all tradeshows in October 2021.
That includes both InfoComm in Orlando and NAB Show in Las Vegas, with the company citing the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and the safety of their employees and partners.
However, the company will be holding a virtual press conference during NAB Show on Oct. 10 during which Sony will unveil and showcase its latest products.
Theresa Alesso, pro division president, said this in a statement sent to Commercial Integrator:
“Sony Electronics has been closely monitoring the evolving situation of the COVID-19 Delta variant. With October on the horizon, we’ve considered the unprecedented circumstances and made the difficult decision that we will not be participating in person at next month’s NAB Show or InfoComm. While these events are an important forum to reach our customers and introduce new products, this is a choice we made to ensure we’re putting our employees’ and our partners’ health and well-being first. As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic and businesses adopt digital alternatives and online opportunities to prevent the spread of the virus, Sony Electronics will continue to communicate and engage with our customers and partners in interactive, accessible ways that allow us to safely deliver exciting product news and updates to a wide online audience. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and look forward to participating at industry events in-person at some point in the future.”
For those who are attending InfoComm, they must either show proof of a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination. Masks will be required for all, regardless of vacation status, and attendees will be asked to socially distance themselves from others.
AVIXA announced those measures in a statement last month that included an announcement of a virtual program which will live stream for three days during the in-person InfoComm 2021 event.
